WHISKY

Almost four months after they launched Haig Club in Scotland, David Beckham and Simon Fuller threw a private cocktail party to officially welcome the spirit to the US last night. The footballer/model/DILF/whisky entrepreneur looked just as dashing as always as he and Fuller hosted a three-course dinner in West Hollywood.

On January 25 those with Scottish heritage—or just a hankering for good Scotch whisky, haggis, and bagpipes—celebrate the birth of the poet Robert Burns, author of Auld Lang Syne, during what is called the Burns Supper. The event takes place all over the world in various guises, but to truly toast the Scottish bard a good single malt Scotch is a must.

New Year's Eve celebrations needs to have two important factors to be done right: kissing loved ones—or strangers (we don't judge)—and enjoying festive cocktails. We hope that you're keeping a recipe book for all of the drinks we've sent your way over the years, but if not, don't worry because here is a brand new batch for you to whip up to ring in 2015.

Waiting until December to do your holiday shopping is a bit of a nightmare, and even if you do it all online, there's a good chance the gifts won't make it to you in time to wrap and put under the tree. This is where subscription-style gifts are a no-brainer—and no, we don't mean magazines, Mom. Food and liquor is where it's at. There are tons of super cool companies out there that offer subscriptions services that will deliver items to your door that you otherwise may not experience. There's pretty much something for everyone, even that tough "man's man" in your life.

The Macallan recently revealed that fashion photographer Mario Testino is their fifth Master of Photography (previous incarnations have included Annie Leibovitz and Elliott Erwitt) and this time they did something a little different for their award-winning series. The famed spirits brand chose to bring its foundation stones, The Six Pillars, to life through Testino's vision and distinct style.

Nick Offerman is pretty synonymous with his Parks and Recreation character Ron Swanson and if it weren't for Offerman's childlike giggle, people would have a hard time knowing where Nick ends and Ron begins. Not only do they both have an impressive mustache that renders men and women speechless, they both can build nearly anything from wood and enjoy a nice glass of fine single malt Scotch. If you've seen Parks and Recreation, you may have noticed that Swanson loves Lagavulin—he even visits the distille... Read More

You can buy someone some cool luxury speakers or the hottest frock on the runway this season, OR you can buy them a hamper full of food. Honestly, most of the time, we will choose the latter. Heck, who are we kidding? We would be buying it for ourselves. Because maybe those speakers aren't as cool as you thought they'd be or that dress actually makes you look like you're perpetually overdressed, but a huge hamper stuffed with food and wine (like the Selfridges Selection Ultimate Selfridges Foodhall Hamper) will never let you down—we're sure that's soon to be a Mindy Kaling quote.

Let's raise a toast to Caskers, a new online service that wants to change the way people drink by giving customers access to the finest craft spirits with its Concierge Service, Private Cask Program, and delivery clubs. Caskers founders Steven Abt and Moiz Ali introduced the first online High End Concierge Service to track down and deliver the (nearly) impossible-to-source bottles, and to match customer tastes with rare spirits and new discoveries. Now that’s our kind of personal shopper.

We've been putting together a Halloween-inspired cocktail roundup for years now, but the previous features may as well cease to exist, because this one is where it's at. We've collected recipes from some of the world's best bars, mixologists, and spirit brands to give you some amazingly spooky options. Make sure not to skimp on the barware though, because trust us, dressing one of these up in the right glass is sometimes all you need to set the right mood. With some great for the night of and others perfect for the morning after (i.e. hangover), we have so many chocies that you may just have to throw more than one party.

The Macallan, known for their luxury range of single malt Scotch whisky, has just announced the addition of the new Rare Cask to their core range of expressions. Offering a "splendidly rich and resonant ruby hue," the whisky sits in handpicked, Spanish oak sherry seasoned casks until it is ready to be bottled in a sturdy glass decanter.

Sometimes us guys just need to be guys, and a number of vacations offer ample opportunity to partake in activities that seem well-suited to the rougher-around-the-edges sex. We've searched around the globe to find some of the most enriching and men-approved vacations available today. And, while we're certain gents will find these excursions interesting, it doesn’t mean women wouldn’t have fun on these outings, we’re just all for bromance vacations.

The 100-year-old BenRiach Distillery has remained one of Scotland’s best-kept secrets, known only to whisky connoisseurs who came across its unique blend produced in the Heart of Speyside. But that’s so 1898. Fast forward to 2014, the year BenRiach opened its cask vaults to introduce four new limited releases to the U.S. market: The BenRiach Horizons 12 Year Old Triple Distilled, The BenRiach Solstice 2nd Edition 17-Year-Old, The BenRiach Septendecim 17-Year-Old Peated Single Malt, and The BenRiach Authenticus 25-Year-Old Peated Single Malt. The secret is out, and the awards have started rolling in.

The Malt Room on Belfast’s downtown Great Victoria Street may look inconspicuous from the outside, but once you walk in you are overtaken by the series of interconnecting rooms. The two-floor restaurant features stucco ceilings, ornate wall paneling with a lion face motif, chandeliers, curved balconies, metal railings and a broad staircase — all reflecting a predominantly ash-gray color scheme with contrasting touches of vivid red.

Like many other industries, the liquor trade is rapidly conglomerating into large corporate groups. Names like Diageo, United Spirits Limited, Pernord Ricard, Suntory/Beam and Bacardi account for the lion's share of sales, but right behind them is Gruppo Campari.

Whisky connoisseurs know that if they're looking for a smokey, peated malt, they need to look to Islay. The Scottish isle is known around the world for its peated whiskies, home as it is to such distilleries as Laphroaig, Ardbeg and Lagavulin.

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